Page 131 - 100 Great Marketing Ideas (100 Great Ideas)

promote the drugs. The doctors do not buy the drugs (apart from
a few for emergency use), but they are the ultimate in influencers,
because they recommend the drugs to their patients. In most cases,
patients will agree to take the drugs if the doctor recommends
them (although nowadays more and more people are avoiding
prescription drugs), so the doctors are the targets of the major thrust
of pharmaceutical companies’ marketing efforts.
The principle can be applied elsewhere. Architects do not buy UPVC
windows, but they do specify them; TV chefs do not sell particular
cuts of meat, but they do recommend them; and so forth. In
consumer markets, some major purchases may appear to be made
by a wife or husband, but it is not usual for either of them to make
a big decision without consulting the other one, so someone selling
motorbikes would probably need to persuade the wives rather than
the husbands.

In practice

• Identify the influencers in your market. In many cases, you

may need to ask the actual customer if there is anyone he or she
would normally consult.

• Influence the influencers by personal approaches if possible, or

by promotions directed at them if necessary.

• Be subtle—influencers are usually well aware of the concept of

persuasion, since this is what they are themselves engaged in.

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